as in tortured
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as in plagued
to cause persistent suffering to
he was tormented by nightmares about the accident
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Recent Examples of tormented
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Inside are museum spaces that tell the story of Obama’s Presidency, grounded in the country’s tormented racial history.
—Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
In 1976, the Legislature turned the California Coastal Commission into a permanent agency that has tormented property owners and localities ever since.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
Hokum gives you a taste of one tormented scribe’s fiction before introducing you to the man behind the keyboard.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
No one seemed to see a problem in the body that tormented me.
—Leila Mottley, Vogue, 27 Apr. 2026
Any scholar of religion and a lot of ordinary Christians know that the Pharisees who tormented Jesus and the Roman Empire were not elite but lower-middle-class.
—Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 24 Apr. 2026
He is tormented by the Road Runner again and again and again.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
May 2026 will mark five years of me being free from drugs, alcohol, and the mental illness that tormented me for years.
—Midsi Sanchez, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
Marte has absolutely tormented the Giants over the last week-and-change.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Inside are museum spaces that tell the story of Obama’s Presidency, grounded in the country’s tormented racial history.
—Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
In 1976, the Legislature turned the California Coastal Commission into a permanent agency that has tormented property owners and localities ever since.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
Hokum gives you a taste of one tormented scribe’s fiction before introducing you to the man behind the keyboard.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
No one seemed to see a problem in the body that tormented me.
—Leila Mottley, Vogue, 27 Apr. 2026
Any scholar of religion and a lot of ordinary Christians know that the Pharisees who tormented Jesus and the Roman Empire were not elite but lower-middle-class.
—Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 24 Apr. 2026
He is tormented by the Road Runner again and again and again.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
May 2026 will mark five years of me being free from drugs, alcohol, and the mental illness that tormented me for years.
—Midsi Sanchez, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tormented
Adjective
-
The track is bookended by audio of a woman who sells plasma to fund her shopping addiction, a parallel to Skeletrix’s depiction of his plight as a tortured artist.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
15 May 2026
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While Naverrette flawlessly plays Nikki as being possessed by a sinister spirit who’s obsessed with Bear, her performance also includes tortured outbursts as the real Nikki sporadically breaks free from her subconscious to react in horror as her friend takes advantage of the situation.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Throughout the rosary recital in the grotto, I was plagued with worry.—
Annie Ernaux,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Criminal groups have increasingly launched drone strikes and armed attacks have plagued the race, and last June, politician and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay, 39, was fatally shot at a political rally.—
Raquel Coronell Uribe,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Throughout his campaign, Pratt has emphasized issues such as homelessness, public safety, wildfire response and government spending, positioning himself as a political outsider challenging the status quo in Los Angeles and drawing support from frustrated voters dissatisfied with current leadership.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
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But even with all that success, Brown became frustrated with his role on the offense in 2025, which led to rumors and reports of him being traded out of Philadelphia.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
Verb
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During and shortly after the Spanish Civil War, Franco’s regime, too, persecuted Esperantists for the language’s association with anti–nationalism and anarchism.—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
-
Blanche, who defended the fund at a congressional hearing this week, has said anyone who believes they’ve been persecuted can apply for compensation regardless of political affiliation.—
Eric Tucker,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Others were placed under house arrest, harassed or subject to extensive surveillance, or had their passports confiscated, according to prior NPR reporting and the findings of the United Nations and rights groups.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
17 May 2026
-
For years, Christian clergy who live and work in Jerusalem have reported being frequently spat on, harassed and even physically attacked by Israeli extremists.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
But all hope is not lost for the mosquito-afflicted.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
-
Their presence has revitalized towns historically afflicted by the woes of the boom-and-bust cycles of the oil and gas industry.—
Ernesto Sagás,
The Conversation,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Bay Area content creator Kane Parsons pushes back on conventional storytelling, and his hypnotic approach results in one of 2026’s most exhilarating debuts, a existential head trip that GoPros us into a human subconscious besieged by misshapen memories that trap and hold you hostage.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
-
Over the years, we were constantly besieged with inquiries.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
Adjective
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In the course of a single session, the harried Paula (played by Tatiana Maslany) gets a hot, younger guy to listen to her complain about her ex-husband, offer feedback on her home-decorating ideas, and coax her into a climax—all in a few short minutes.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
28 May 2026
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Screen time has become a default rather than an intentional choice for harried teachers and distracted students.—
Will Oremus,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tormented.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tormented. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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